Zendaya On Avoiding Cultural Appropriation: “Learn About Things”

“Take the extra step of knowledge.”

In an interview published by Nylon last week, actress/singer Zendaya explained the difference between cultural appropriation and cultural appreciation. "You have to be very careful," she cautioned. "Some things are really sacred and important to other cultures, so you have to be aware, politically, about those things before you just adopt them. In order to appreciate something, you have to know about it and understand. You don't just wear something just to wear it—you have to understand the history behind it." She "urge[d] people to take the extra step of knowledge and learn about things... with the internet and the resources we have, you should do a little research."